When I was an LEO after a stressful cal,I would be sitting in my car doing a report when my left leg would start shaking like "thumper the rabbit" I would literally have to grab it to make it stop,then I was ok,adrenaline is some knarly stuff

April 30th, 2012, 05:17 AM

Burns

Shaking doesn't mean anything. It is the body giving off a large amount of adrenaline. I've had many situations where I was ready to fight and my legs would not stop shaking. It is not something you "get used to" or because of fear or anything like that it is just the body getting ready for whatever might happen, adrenaline is a crazy thing...

PS: Honestly if you were shaking from it and your brother was not, you were more prepared than he was :)

April 30th, 2012, 10:32 AM

HKinNY

Go skydiving a few times. Nothing like looking at the ground coming at you at 120 mph.

Two years ago a bunch of friends went to Vegas for a turning 40 B-day. We went skydiving. Once we landed of my buddies was shaking leaf in the wind and sweating. He did not know why. Explained to him it was Pure adrenaline dump. It was like junkie looking for a fix.

April 30th, 2012, 03:02 PM

ducatirider

I have experienced some massive adrenaline dumps in my day (I've calmed down substantially as I've gotten older...)

Anywho, I found that I was able to lessen the effect of a stress-response simply by learning to expect it, and by training around it.

For example, I experience really bad tunnel vision after prolonged high-speed motorcycle racing. Not much I can do about my body's response, but now I go out of my way to look all around me when I ride. (Once I came about 6 inches from turning into another rider at about 90 MPH at Summit Point Raceway.)

Same way for the shakes -- now whenever I go shooting I do about 50 pushups before I do my drills. I've gotten used to manipulating my weapon with my fine motor skill shot to hell.

The biggest effect for me is the sensation of being weak, when in reality the adrenaline has made me stronger. I once totally ate it coming out of a turn (started to rain on lap 10 of a 12 round track-session, not even a race, just open track). Apparently there was some oil because I low-sided into the stones. I thought I was too weak to even stand, but I was able to lift up my bike with no effort and get out of the skid zone.

In closing -- Good job to the OP for not intervening. There wasn't anything to gain by trying to make contact with the guy. Discretion is the better part of not ending up in the hospital.

April 30th, 2012, 03:11 PM

NH_Esau

Ask yourself four questions (in this order):

Are your loved ones alive and unhurt?
Are you alive?
Did you learn something?
Are you unhurt?

If your answers are "yes" to all four, congratulations... you won.

If your answers are "yes" to the first three, congratulations... you won. It just hurts more.

If your answer to any of the first three are "no," you lost.

Sounds like you won.

April 30th, 2012, 05:31 PM

Hopyard

Maybe this question should be a different thread, but since we are talking about adrenaline dumps, are there any
common medicines one might keep on hand to deal with this; e.g., lots of guys (older) take adrenaline blockers of
one sort or another either for BPH or hypertension.

April 30th, 2012, 08:43 PM

aworldexport

Appreciate all the comments. Some good points. Sky diving-not a chance haha.

Ask yourself four questions (in this order):

Are your loved ones alive and unhurt?
Are you alive?
Did you learn something?
Are you unhurt?

If your answers are "yes" to all four, congratulations... you won.

If your answers are "yes" to the first three, congratulations... you won. It just hurts more.

If your answer to any of the first three are "no," you lost.

Sounds like you won.

Your right thanks for putting the whole event into perspective

April 30th, 2012, 09:43 PM

Yoda

Adrenaline can't be tamed that I know of but after years of feeling it and poorer conditioning, us older guys probably feel less effects.

If you've been deer hunting and saw a big buck it's called buck fever. Combine that with cold temps and you get a big shiver.

You did good, I am guessing your brother is younger and he felt safe with you. Had he been by himself he may have reacted differently.

Just my thoughts.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

April 30th, 2012, 10:27 PM

SFury

You can learn to control the adrenalin rush. People do it every day. The more you experience it, the better you control it. Well, most people do anyways.

Ask any hunter how they handle the adrenalin rush (buck fever as it is called) after years of hunting compared to when they began to hunt. I use the rush to help me take the animal before me now. I shake after the kill/potential kill, and not during the encounter now.

If it was not controllable, then force on force training would have zero value. It's that simple. FoF training is designed to help you control the adrenalin rush and act in the most suitable manner to deal with dangerous situations.

April 30th, 2012, 10:53 PM

Hoganbeg

Good choice deciding to stay inside and alert.

Don't worry about the adrenaline dump-it happens.

Do an internet search on Tactical Breathing.

May 1st, 2012, 12:49 AM

aworldexport

How to Use Tactical Breathing

Designed to use during intense situations, the tactical breathing technique helps your body to slow down and begin to control some of the involuntary responses that happen in a fight-or-flight situation. Soldiers use tactical breathing during combat, police officers may use it when they are in a gunfight and even a student can use it before taking an exam to steady his nerves. The technique involves slowing down your breathing through concentration.

Instructions
1

Take a deep breath in through your nose and hold it. Count to five slowly, holding your breath.

2

Let the air out of your lungs through your mouth slowly, to the count of five. It should be an evenly paced exhalation of breath, counting to five as you slowly exhale.

3

Hold your breath to the slow count of five, then repeat the process for a total of four times.

Great suggestion this is what i was thinking about..something i could use on the spot to at least mimimize the effects of an adrenline dump....appreciate it...

May 1st, 2012, 10:50 AM

ducatirider

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoganbeg

Good choice deciding to stay inside and alert.

Don't worry about the adrenaline dump-it happens.

Do an internet search on Tactical Breathing.

It's just regular breathing, but it is painted black and has velcro on it.

May 2nd, 2012, 01:52 AM

Doubledown

I have a couple cop and retired cop friends that swear that you can mitigate the effects of the adrenaline dump by by eating several tablespoons of sugar or drinking it in a glass of water. I never did any research into this but after hearing the same story from 3 guys I trust at different times and not together as a group I tend to think there may be something there.

May 2nd, 2012, 04:10 AM

gilliland87

from an adrenaline junkie

The skydiving option was a good one it is one of the biggest rushes you will ever get without actually thinking you will die....
I have found that as an after the fact helper for the shakes sugar does work.... glucose tabs (walgreens, usually with the diabetic paraphernalia)
or a candy bar will usually calm you down a bit...

May 2nd, 2012, 02:53 PM

ducatirider

Quote:

Originally Posted by gilliland87

The skydiving option was a good one it is one of the biggest rushes you will ever get without actually thinking you will die....
I have found that as an after the fact helper for the shakes sugar does work.... glucose tabs (walgreens, usually with the diabetic paraphernalia)
or a candy bar will usually calm you down a bit...

Weird. I guess our ancestors got a good meal after the adrenaline rush of hunting something down, so food calms?

I suppose this would also explain why people are so tired after eating -- energy devoted to digestion because we've already overcome our kill.